My wife and I just got a 10 week old Bernese Mountain Dog pup the other day and we have a bit of a dilemma. We are crate training very sucessfully but the issue comes when we both work which happens a few days a week. The deal is I dont think it is good to leave the dog in the crate for 10hrs during the day till one of us gets home. We have no neighbors or family available to come over and let the puppy out. The option we do have is the kitchen with a baby gated entrance exit and linoleun floor. If she is in the kitchen she will void on the floor whereas she wont in the crate. I think ten hours in the crate she will void in it which I dont want. I guess what I am wondering is if this kitchen peeing is going to severly set back housebreaking and what approach you think is best for a dog we woudl liek to be eventually house broken. I should alos state that we live in an apartment so we cant leave the dog in a backyard or similar situation. thanx for any advice

There's not much you can do besides have someone spend time with your pup during that period. Puppies can't be left alone that long.

Also you are not going to be successful in house training if no one's there that long; a puppy can have a lot of accidents in 10 hours, even putting the fact that they need interaction in that time aside.